Express & Star comment: Will grand plans for Midlands' prosperity stay on track?
One of the Government’s stated aims is to level up opportunity across the UK.
The Conservatives want to hold onto the Midlands and the North, having secured both at the December General Election – but doing so will come at a price, so ministers are clamouring to highlight projects that might benefit neglected parts of the country.
Transport and infrastructure are vital to that, and while the cost of HS2 spirals, ministers want to be seen to be providing new opportunities in the Midlands and North.
The plan to reopen disused railway lines feeds into that narrative – and it is an attractive prospect.
Older readers will remember some of the lines that were slashed from our maps in the 1960s, and many would likely welcome them reopening.
But the optimism surrounding the announcement needs to be tempered with a dose of realism.
The £500m allocated to the project will not begin to scratch the surface of the investment needed to reopen these lines.
As we have seen with other construction projects, the sums involved to get such schemes off the ground are frequently enormous – and continue to grow as projects progress.
Others will point out that getting a reliable service on the railways already open is proving a difficult task and might suggest we spend a bit more time focusing on that. They would have a point.
Many might reasonably suggest that the Government could easily spend all of its planned £500 million on the existing railway networks without passengers seeing much benefit.
Our rolling stock is outdated, our lines in need of investment, and our timetables often descend into shambles.
And yet a lengthy period of austerity means many welcome even the smallest plan to breathe new life into transport networks.
We need investment in services and our regions need better connectivity if we are to move towards a greener economy where people are able to go about their business without disruption or delay.
But don’t hold your breath for any grand ribbon cutting ceremonies any time soon.
